Philippine Travel Notes

Nope, this beach is not in a city in Mindanao. This is at Barangay Bislig, Tanauan, Leyte! One morning I needed to be in this resort, not on my usual travel terms to see places. I was working! I was asked to attend some seminar workshop, to say something. Not that I was complaining. In fact, when I read that the venue was a "Bislig Beach Resort", my whole body sprang with excitement! As in! Well, many of you already know me. As I always say, I'm just another "SON OF A BEACH""! Wherever it may be, if it's a "beach" I'm sure I'll find something interesting there! There is no exception! On arrival, my host (the facilitator) noticed I was distracted as I kept darting glances at the beach.... After rolling her eyeballs she said to me "I know, right? Okay, stay in that cottage and I will just call you when its your time to talk"! Without even saying yes or thank you, I flew to this empty cottage hahaha! There are a number ...

Here I go again on another intra-island tour. This time it is on the eastern-to-southern corridors of Leyte Island. This was partly work-related and partly my earnest desire to go places. So, just telling you, I'm not complaining hehe. I love my job, though temporary! This exciting joyride takes me from Tacloban passing via coastal towns until the south eastern end of the province of Leyte which is Abuyog. Then onwards to Silago, the north-eastern-most town of the province of Southern Leyte, circling down, then up at the south-western side which is Maasin, the capital town of the province of Southern Leyte! Well, okay, first stop was Haiyan Foodstop in Tanauan. What I planned to be a morning snack (I had breakfast in Tacloban) became some kind of a brunch. All because of the "tinola" and "pork barbecue" that were just coming out of their respective cooking areas, piping hot when we passed by! Well, I am not complaining about this too hehe! Burp! Lesson l...

This is an eatery in the middle of nowhere, but considered a 'lifeline" by many 'visitors'! It is big enough to fit a hundred (or mire?) diners with an expansive parking area! I even think the owner must have spent an equal amount concreting this parking area to that of building the restaurant itself! Then again, they could be up to something bigger. Haiyan Foodstop is a restaurant along the highway in Brgy Bislig, a quiet and sparsely populated outskirt of Tanauan Leyte. This is the town's southern end just before Tolosa. This entrance is just aesthetics, since it's actually open on the sides - open air, no aircon. They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner with the usual Pinoy Food that's really nothing to shout about. They started as a turo-turo restaurant, but they now have 'a la carte' menu. They also have local delicacies like "binagol", "chocolate moron", "maja blanca" et al hehe. What sets it apart from othe...

This would be my first visit to a 'recovering institution' where I might say I am really actively involved in the operations. But don't worry, my stories henceforth won't dwell on them. My eyes are still alert to look around at places worth visiting.., and the likes! As I said in some of my earlier stories, I have been in and out of Leyte and Samar many times before and after Yolanda. But in many of those visits or 'fly-by' opportunities, I was just either 'curious and stopped to peep' or 'incidentally passing by the area'... This time, I'm starting to go around with another purpose - to participate in the Yolanda recovery activities, offered by the kind organization I volunteered with. And it is not easy. Not easy seeing all the destruction, the havoc, the loss that Yolanda has wrecked unto this region of the country. But it's past the grieving and weeping period. Time to rise up! See that black roof of the temporary classroom? It...

Manila to Cebu via Ormoc: a side trip to Tanauan Out of the Mac Arthur Park, I rode a trisikad out to the rotunda so I could get a jeep ride going to Tanauan. It was a leisurely ride as I told the driver no need to go fast. Somewhere on that road, I dared exchange places with the trisikad driver. The thing starts heavy but cruises easily once it gets moving. Just the same, I still huffed and panted at what I was doing. The platoons of army recruits jogging in the area even cheered for me to go on. Many of them shouted “go go go, you can do it” and they were all clapping! Whew! On arrival at the corner fronting the BIR building, I stopped and asked how much. The reply was “six pesos”. I silently protested but did not say anything. Imagine that, if I were the trisikad driver, I would be exerting all my energies on the pedal only to be paid six pesos? But I knew that if I said anything to that effect, it could start them thinking to raise prices and the locals might not like it. Whew!...

Ah let us not bother about that "S" in "foods". Hindi sya ang topic. KJ lang sya! But, surely we know the owners meant “bought” not “bRought”, right?! The pesky letter "R" just inserted itself there for the limelight hahaha! Ayaw patalo ke "S". This is at a bakery cum eatery cum dry goods store just near (across) the public market in Tanauan, Leyte. Oh well, typo error, the careless fingers of our times hehehe! Ooops, maybe I just meant "finger", sumali lang yan si S na yan! Whaahehehe!

This topic started with this article There are two. And that is pronounced “tan-a-wan”. If you are a native English speaker, it sounds more like “tun-uh-one” One is Tanauan City in the province of Batangas (Region 4A – (CaLaBaRZon) and is situated at the northeastern corner of Taal Lake, Therefore this city partly also ‘owns’ Taal Lake and has good view of it. Heard of Apolinario Mabini? Well he was a native of this place, so there’s a museum and replica of his abode. Also try visiting the old municipal hall of Tanauan and discover wonderful things (its now their city museum). There are ancestral houses too, like those of the Laurels and the Almedas. But there are inland resorts too, plust, the wonderful views of the lake and island especially at sunset. Remember though, this is a city and there are industrial parks and industrial estates. The other Tanauan is a town in the province of Leyte (Region 8 – (Eastern Visayas). This town just south of Tacloban and Palo is gaining popul...